Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

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opus360
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Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by opus360 »

My 3rd grader kid has qualified to take courses at John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY). https://cty.jhu.edu/ In SCAT test, he scored "two grade levels above the current enrolled grade" on verbal, and four grade levels above on math. At his public school, he also attends a one-hour a week activity for kids deemed two grade levels above. At home, we teach him for about 15-30 minutes a day 5 days a week of extra studying beyond the school homework, which he completes in about 15-20 minutes. His interest lies in math and science (earth science, very basic chemistry, doing experiments such as mixing vinegar with baking soda).

So, my question, what online course would be beneficial for him?

1) English/Verbal - this way, his verbal skills would catch up to his math skills. Examples of courses are:
https://cty.jhu.edu/programs/online/cou ... locks-irul

2) Math - some math courses, as he likes math.
https://cty.jhu.edu/programs/online/cou ... atics-mwm1

3) Courses not taught in his school now such as Scratch (computer programing).
https://cty.jhu.edu/programs/online/cou ... eering-ice
https://cty.jhu.edu/programs/online/cou ... udents-esp

My thoughts:
English and math are already taught in school. I can teach him math easily at home. I am leaning towards something not available at home nor in school now such as "Scratch" programming. So, that is choice 3 above. What do you think? Has anyone's kid enrolled at CTY before?
psteinx
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by psteinx »

I think the #1 thing is to find something HE is interested in and that will keep him engaged.

I wouldn't think too much along the lines of "he's only 2 grades ahead in verbal for 4 in math/science, therefore we should bring up the verbal".

Our HS kid is taking advanced math, remote, through CTY at the moment (finished the available math curriculum at her H.S.) and seems to be liking it. But that's pretty different from what a 3rd grader would want, obviously.

3rd grade is about the age one can get productively involved in robotics I think. That might be worth exploring, especially for a math/science kid, if you haven't already done so.
Last edited by psteinx on Wed Oct 27, 2021 8:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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JPH
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by JPH »

opus360 wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:08 pm In SCAT test, he scored "two grade levels above the current enrolled grade" on verbal, and four grade levels above on math.
How many more grade levels higher do you think he should be?
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sailaway
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by sailaway »

I don't know if costs are of any concern to you, but scratch offers a lot of projects online that you could work through with your child for free.
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opus360
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by opus360 »

sailaway wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:18 pm I don't know if costs are of any concern to you, but scratch offers a lot of projects online that you could work through with your child for free.
That is great to know. While we can afford it, cost is still a concern. Maybe the money can be better put towards his college cost. Any suggested free scratch website? Thanks.
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opus360
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by opus360 »

JPH wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:17 pm
opus360 wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:08 pm In SCAT test, he scored "two grade levels above the current enrolled grade" on verbal, and four grade levels above on math.
How many more grade levels higher do you think he should be?
I just know he is more advance than others. I don't have an expectation that he should be at x level.
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opus360
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by opus360 »

psteinx wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:12 pm I think the #1 thing is to find something HE is interested in and that will keep him engaged.

I wouldn't think too much along the lines of "he's only 2 grades ahead in verbal for 4 in math/science, therefore we should bring up the verbal".

Our HS kid is taking advanced math, remote, through CTY at the moment (finished the available curriculum at her H.S.) and seems to be liking it. But that's pretty different from what a 3rd grader would want, obviously.

3rd grade is about the age one can get productively involved in robotics I think. That might be worth exploring, especially for a math/science kid, if you haven't already done so.
Thanks for sharing your HS kid experience. These are my thoughts as well for my kids - some course that would be of interest to him.
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by sailaway »

opus360 wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:21 pm
sailaway wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:18 pm I don't know if costs are of any concern to you, but scratch offers a lot of projects online that you could work through with your child for free.
That is great to know. While we can afford it, cost is still a concern. Maybe the money can be better put towards his college cost. Any suggested free scratch website? Thanks.
They are right on the homepage: https://scratch.mit.edu/, although there are others as well.
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by lws »

Try programming.
Also make sure the child develops a deep understanding of each math and science concept.
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Watty
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by Watty »

opus360 wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:08 pm So, my question, what online course would be beneficial for him?
A lot depends on what he is interested in. Be sure to ask him what he would want to do.

I don't know about online classes but art or music classes would be an obvious choice that might help round his education out. He might also be interested in some craft class.

Some sort of drama group could also be a good change of pace and help him develop his public speaking skills.

Getting involved in chess or some other game group might also be good and a lot different than what he learns in his normal classes.

It seems like Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts is fading but you might see if you can get him involved in something like that.

I am not a big fan of competitive team sports like little league for kids that age but you might be able to find some fun leagues or less or non-competitive sports. Martial arts classes would also be an option.

A quick Google search found this list of non-competitive sports.

https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-non ... ive-sports
dukeblue219
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by dukeblue219 »

How about something that isn't on a screen? An outdoor program, kids woodworking class, robotics club etc is so much more appropriate for a third grader's developing brain than online coursework.

Focus on creativity, exploration, and free play. Your kid is doing great and doesn't need to be pushed harder academically.

My teacher wife is constantly calming other parents who are obsessed with their kindergarteners learning to read even though it's not developmentally appropriate for all. It's reasonable to want the best for your kids, but more school isn't always best.
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opus360
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by opus360 »

sailaway wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:25 pm They are right on the homepage: https://scratch.mit.edu/, although there are others as well.
Thank you. I bookmarked it.

lws wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:32 pm Also make sure the child develops a deep understanding of each math and science concept.
Agreed. I asked an admissions director once what to teach advance kids. She suggested deeper dive into a concept rather than new concepts.

Watty wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:34 pm A lot depends on what he is interested in. Be sure to ask him what he would want to do.

I don't know about online classes but art or music classes would be an obvious choice that might help round his education out. He might also be interested in some craft class.

Some sort of drama group could also be a good change of pace and help him develop his public speaking skills.

Getting involved in chess or some other game group might also be good and a lot different than what he learns in his normal classes.

It seems like Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts is fading but you might see if you can get him involved in something like that.

I am not a big fan of competitive team sports like little league for kids that age but you might be able to find some fun leagues or less or non-competitive sports. Martial arts classes would also be an option.

A quick Google search found this list of non-competitive sports.

https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-non ... ive-sports
All good suggestions. We have done team sports and martial arts in the past, but those are on pause due to Covid.

dukeblue219 wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:38 pm Focus on creativity, exploration, and free play. Your kid is doing great and doesn't need to be pushed harder academically.
My aunt gets him Kiwi/Tinker Crates (education toys/crafts focusing on STEM and exploration) as Christmas gift for a few years now. He always looks forward to getting the next month's box of crafts.

I just wish I can do more on the exploration/experiments parts. I went to tour Princeton Day School, a prestigious K-12 private school, once. They focus on learning by using real examples. For example, how does a caterpillar become a butterfly. He would have fit right into the school's teaching method well. But, the school is too far and too expensive for us.
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opus360
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by opus360 »

Thank you for all the suggestions. The consensus seems to take something else other than english/math, and to explore more things such as programming/robotics. I'll have a better look at CTY's courses and some other programs too (hopefully free :mrgreen: )
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by getthatmarshmallow »

I have a similarly advanced third grader, and our strategy has been to add a little math supplementation (due to kiddo's intense interest) via BeastAcademy and otherwise just let him explore. Sometimes he programs using Scratch, sometimes he reads books about the periodic table, sometimes he wires that damned circuit kit we bought during COVID, sometimes he hangs out in my office while I type on Bogleheads instead of writing an exam and does Sudoku puzzles. (cough) Sometimes he creates elaborate marble runs or throws stuffies at his sister. Piano takes up about half an hour per day, too, and he reads every night before bed to wind down. Gymnastics once a week and plenty of free outside play when the weather is nice.

I defintely am a very hands-off parent when it comes to academics, but kiddo didn't fall far from the tree and will read an encyclopedia for fun, so he's very easy to manage. In general I think there's a good case for letting them explore what they want at this age.
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by 2babogle »

Something fun, not study. We all need more of that.
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Though, I was not exceptional so no actionable recommendations. Maybe practice up on conditional and conditional subjunctive to be perfect?
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by random_walker_77 »

It's good to supplement so your child isn't bored, and to help them reach their potential. At the same time, you don't want to kill their love for learning and motivation to study. They're going to be fine, so long as they don't burn out, or fizzle out (from boredom). In my opinion, one particular life skill is to learn to overcome frustration, and to learn that results come from hard work. Anything that requires prolonged study, and which provides quick feedback is good for this. Example might include music or martial arts, but it's important that it's something they child wants to do and enjoys.

My experience has been that verbal skills will keep developing naturally if the child enjoys reading. Encourage reading, and make books available. Weekly family trips to the library, for example. It almost doesn't matter what is read, so long as they read a lot. If reading becomes a favorite hobby, then your child will naturally continue to advance in verbal skills and vocabulary. Magic Tree House, Harry Potter, Wings of fire, "The lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," Spy School, etc The audiobooks (often free from the library) can also be good for car trips, and many of these stories offer plenty of opportunities to discuss characters, motivations, morality, social interactions etc

In our household, we strictly limited screen time and avoided video games. By eliminating addictive alternatives, our kids naturally gravitated to reading as a fun past time. The more they read, the better.

Taken in moderation, Khan Academy isn't bad for math. Some monitoring is necessary to ensure your child learns how to "show their work" and not just do it all in their head. The singapore math challenge books are very well done, and are a good resource for supplementing to handle harder "puzzle" problems. Working through those would position your child for math competitions in middle school, if they so chose.

I'd also recommend watching one of these chemistry lectures together as a family at http://wothers.com. Personally, I'd start w/ "fire and flame," and maybe watch another one every month or two. They're truly entertaining and we found that it sparked a strong curiosity and interest in chemistry. When your child is older and has mastered 1st year algebra, then the free Duke University Introductory Chemistry courses over at coursera.org might be a good next step.
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by random_walker_77 »

Also, I think the CTY courses are fine if you don't have the time or inclination to help curate. That said, paying $1100 for a CTY math course makes sense to me only if you can easily afford it and can't spare the time to help guide your child through alternatives. The cs50 class on edx, for example, includes some scratch programming at the beginning and goes on to a lot more detailed computer science. The lectures are very well done but I think would be better suited to, at the youngest, a precocious and highly motivated 6th grader.

There're a lot of quality resources online. It's a matter of curating and matching to interests. Paying $1000 makes sense as a convenience fee, but you may get better results if you can provide the personal touch yourself. Or, sometimes, kids will listen to other adults when they won't listen to their parents, so paying for a CTY class is necessary... (but free online courses may work nearly as well).
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by HereToLearn »

The only academic 'enrichment' I did outside of assigned homework was to read, read, read. After that, my son decided what he was interested in pursuing. We bought books but also took full advantage of any program our library offered.

He spent a lot of time on Scratch when he was in third & fourth grades, so much so that we reached out to someone at the MIT Media Lab and received a guided tour of the space when we were in Boston one summer. My son used to write into the Scratch people suggesting new modules or whatever the components were. This was 13 or 14 years ago, and Scratch has expanded since then. They have Scratch Day, often hosted at a library or school, where participants gather to celebrate Scratch. (Our library tried hosting this but it didn't gain traction.)

I remember buying a Raspberry Pi, Arduino cookbook, a soldering kit and fuses (not sure what that was about), and he had access to old hand-me-down laptops to play around with. There was this old Lego Mindstorm robot that required a computer.

My son had me order books when he was a couple of years older than your son. I recall a number from the Art of Problem Solving: https://artofproblemsolving.com.

I would not pay for CTY, but I am frugal. However, I did pay for an online CTY course the summer before HS so that my son could skip a year of math, enabling him to complete BC Calc in 11th grade and MV Calc in 12th. His HS did not offer LA.

Your son is still too young for these 'College for Kids' Splash programs, but bookmark the page and take a look to see the age range for each program. Most are for HS students only, but some offer separate MS programs. MIT has one weekend dedicated to middle school students, and that one is a CTY reunion, of sorts, but plenty of non-CTY students attend also. Yale offers Sprout for middle schoolers in addition to Splash for HS. These are one-off day or weekend events where interested MS or HS students can learn from college student instructors, with the occasional grad student or prof thrown in.

https://www.learningu.org/current-programs/#northeast

One other thought is if you live anywhere near a university, see if there are any community programs. Again, he is probably too young, but there are Math Circles and Science Olympiad. My son did not participate in either of those, but I have read about them.

Enjoy!
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by BarbBrooklyn »

I can honestly say that the money we spent for our 3 children to attend CTY courses during summers in HS was the best investment we made.

It wasn't about advancement in core subjects or skipping grades. It was about deepening their understanding and enriching their appreciation of material (logic, psychology, math, writing).

It was also great in terms of the kids they met. Lifelong friendships and connections were made (one of my daughters, now 40, just got a job through a CTY friend from long ago).

Staying on college campuses (different ones each year for some) made them better able to evaluate campuses of the schools they looked at later.
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by stoptothink »

How about something to challenge them in another way? I have one exceptional student (a 1st grader who is several grades above in math and English, who they keep trying to convince us to skip) and a mediocre student (a 4th grader who is among the top group in her individual class, but not a standout like her brother). The best thing we ever did for my daughter's academic performance was getting her to learn the value of hard work, we do that through combat sports (BJJ, muy thai, and wrestling).
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by firebirdparts »

My life was dramatically affected by this, starting exactly at his age, and in my recollection, it all seems bad. I've had a great life, but I think if I was a little more "normal" my quality of life would have been better. And I grew up on a farm, and I can sing and dance and tell jokes. But with all that I regret some of what happened to me. I admit my negativity on getting grade levels ahead is totally selective recollection. I am just saying there are social and emotional hazards. Some of the damage of emotional experiences is kinda permanent. This is a big area and you could debate what sort of process it takes to recover.

So I would say coping skills and mental toughness and that sort of thing shouldn't get left behind. Leadership. Scouting. Exercise. The Arts. Later on down the road consider sports, but I know that's kind of a black hole. Since he's a boy, imagine a situation where he moves up 2 grades where the girls are maybe 10 years ahead of him in social intelligence. Not sure there's a cure for that, but you can certainly try to explain a few things to him. Being happy in life is about 10% skill, maybe. Think about those skills at least a little.

Good problems to have, all. Enjoy. I'm proud of him.
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by MAKsdad »

firebirdparts wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:32 am My life was dramatically affected by this, starting exactly at his age, and in my recollection, it all seems bad. I've had a great life, but I think if I was a little more "normal" my quality of life would have been better. And I grew up on a farm, and I can sing and dance and tell jokes. But with all that I regret some of what happened to me. I admit my negativity on getting grade levels ahead is totally selective recollection. I am just saying there are social and emotional hazards. Some of the damage of emotional experiences is kinda permanent. This is a big area and you could debate what sort of process it takes to recover.

So I would say coping skills and mental toughness and that sort of thing shouldn't get left behind. Leadership. Scouting. Exercise. The Arts. Later on down the road consider sports, but I know that's kind of a black hole. Since he's a boy, imagine a situation where he moves up 2 grades where the girls are maybe 10 years ahead of him in social intelligence. Not sure there's a cure for that, but you can certainly try to explain a few things to him. Being happy in life is about 10% skill, maybe. Think about those skills at least a little.

Good problems to have, all. Enjoy. I'm proud of him.
Double-edged sword here. I was skipped a grade early on (well, I did 1st and 2nd grade in the same year). I agree 100% with this post that it totally boned me socially and has definitely had long-term psychological impacts.

The problem is, even with the skip, I never had to work hard at all through high school to do well. And when I went to college, I was unprepared to work hard and THAT boned me. To this day, I have serious problems buckling down and working hard...although I have had a successful career despite that.

I think if a kid is a natural hard worker, then they'll be fine. I was never that, and never will be.
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by random_walker_77 »

To add to the previous posters, beyond the social hazards of skipping grades, to what benefit? So that you can start working earlier and hence get in more years of work until you hit retirement age? (ignoring the possibility of early retirement)

To a large extent, it's better to be the best in your year, rather than skip a grade(s) and only be among the better students. That said, supplementing to maximize potential and stave off boredom is a good thing.
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by stoptothink »

MAKsdad wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:51 am
firebirdparts wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:32 am My life was dramatically affected by this, starting exactly at his age, and in my recollection, it all seems bad. I've had a great life, but I think if I was a little more "normal" my quality of life would have been better. And I grew up on a farm, and I can sing and dance and tell jokes. But with all that I regret some of what happened to me. I admit my negativity on getting grade levels ahead is totally selective recollection. I am just saying there are social and emotional hazards. Some of the damage of emotional experiences is kinda permanent. This is a big area and you could debate what sort of process it takes to recover.

So I would say coping skills and mental toughness and that sort of thing shouldn't get left behind. Leadership. Scouting. Exercise. The Arts. Later on down the road consider sports, but I know that's kind of a black hole. Since he's a boy, imagine a situation where he moves up 2 grades where the girls are maybe 10 years ahead of him in social intelligence. Not sure there's a cure for that, but you can certainly try to explain a few things to him. Being happy in life is about 10% skill, maybe. Think about those skills at least a little.

Good problems to have, all. Enjoy. I'm proud of him.
Double-edged sword here. I was skipped a grade early on (well, I did 1st and 2nd grade in the same year). I agree 100% with this post that it totally boned me socially and has definitely had long-term psychological impacts.

The problem is, even with the skip, I never had to work hard at all through high school to do well. And when I went to college, I was unprepared to work hard and THAT boned me. To this day, I have serious problems buckling down and working hard...although I have had a successful career despite that.

I think if a kid is a natural hard worker, then they'll be fine. I was never that, and never will be.
I as well skipped a grade (3rd) and then graduated high school a semester early. Outside of being completely on my own in college shortly after turning 16, it never was really a big issue. I have Asperger's so socialization has just never been a priority for me. It may have been a negative socially, but I never really cared. Today I am "normal" enough socially to where most people are surprised when they learn I am ASD because I have become a master at faking social interest and charisma; much of that is probably from constantly being put in uncomfortable social situations as a kid.

My son is a total different story. They asked us about skipping kindergarten after initial testing and his teacher also brought it up within the first week of 1st grade. He's a very social little dude and wife and I have agreed that it's best for him to not be skipped (at least for now).
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by getthatmarshmallow »

random_walker_77 wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 8:52 am To add to the previous posters, beyond the social hazards of skipping grades, to what benefit? So that you can start working earlier and hence get in more years of work until you hit retirement age? (ignoring the possibility of early retirement)

To a large extent, it's better to be the best in your year, rather than skip a grade(s) and only be among the better students. That said, supplementing to maximize potential and stave off boredom is a good thing.
In some districts, the only way to be appropriately challenged is to skip a level. It's never been common anywhere I've lived, where there have been supplemental gifted programs/magnet schools for bright kiddos, but I could see the case for it. The socialization aspect isn't irrelevant, but for me it would be easily outweighed by being appropriately intellectually challenged (and finding friends of a similar mindset.)
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by random_walker_77 »

getthatmarshmallow wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 9:44 am
random_walker_77 wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 8:52 am To add to the previous posters, beyond the social hazards of skipping grades, to what benefit? So that you can start working earlier and hence get in more years of work until you hit retirement age? (ignoring the possibility of early retirement)

To a large extent, it's better to be the best in your year, rather than skip a grade(s) and only be among the better students. That said, supplementing to maximize potential and stave off boredom is a good thing.
In some districts, the only way to be appropriately challenged is to skip a level. It's never been common anywhere I've lived, where there have been supplemental gifted programs/magnet schools for bright kiddos, but I could see the case for it. The socialization aspect isn't irrelevant, but for me it would be easily outweighed by being appropriately intellectually challenged (and finding friends of a similar mindset.)
Ah, fair enough. I've only lived in places that have gifted/tag programs, though even there, there are limits to how much challenge they can provide.
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by HanSolo »

opus360 wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:08 pm So, my question, what online course would be beneficial for him?
Does it have to be online? One could get a chemistry set, geology set, kits for growing plants from seeds, etc. Radio Shack used to sell a "150-in-1 electronics project kit" which was a lot of fun. Maybe there's still something like that today.
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by random_walker_77 »

HanSolo wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 2:33 pm
opus360 wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:08 pm So, my question, what online course would be beneficial for him?
Does it have to be online? One could get a chemistry set, geology set, kits for growing plants from seeds, etc. Radio Shack used to sell a "150-in-1 electronics project kit" which was a lot of fun. Maybe there's still something like that today.
One modern update on those are the Snap Circuits sets (i.e. https://www.amazon.com/Snap-Circuits-SC ... B0000683A4)
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by sailaway »

random_walker_77 wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 2:46 pm
HanSolo wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 2:33 pm
opus360 wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:08 pm So, my question, what online course would be beneficial for him?
Does it have to be online? One could get a chemistry set, geology set, kits for growing plants from seeds, etc. Radio Shack used to sell a "150-in-1 electronics project kit" which was a lot of fun. Maybe there's still something like that today.
One modern update on those are the Snap Circuits sets (i.e. https://www.amazon.com/Snap-Circuits-SC ... B0000683A4)

For the same price, you can get an Arduino or similar and combine circuits with coding. The Arduino student kit even comes with a multimeter, so useful for learning DIY around the house, too.
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by Sandtrap »

Music
Language
Arts

Karate class. Father and son!
Hang a heavy bag in the garage or a freestanding one.
Practice kata together.
Dad n son/daughter stuff makes a solid foundation that lasts forever.

Balance mind, body, spirit.
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Last edited by Sandtrap on Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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cashheavy18
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by cashheavy18 »

HereToLearn wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 11:05 pm The only academic 'enrichment' I did outside of assigned homework was to read, read, read. After that, my son decided what he was interested in pursuing. We bought books but also took full advantage of any program our library offered.

He spent a lot of time on Scratch when he was in third & fourth grades, so much so that we reached out to someone at the MIT Media Lab and received a guided tour of the space when we were in Boston one summer. My son used to write into the Scratch people suggesting new modules or whatever the components were. This was 13 or 14 years ago, and Scratch has expanded since then. They have Scratch Day, often hosted at a library or school, where participants gather to celebrate Scratch. (Our library tried hosting this but it didn't gain traction.)

I remember buying a Raspberry Pi, Arduino cookbook, a soldering kit and fuses (not sure what that was about), and he had access to old hand-me-down laptops to play around with. There was this old Lego Mindstorm robot that required a computer.

My son had me order books when he was a couple of years older than your son. I recall a number from the Art of Problem Solving: https://artofproblemsolving.com.

I would not pay for CTY, but I am frugal. However, I did pay for an online CTY course the summer before HS so that my son could skip a year of math, enabling him to complete BC Calc in 11th grade and MV Calc in 12th. His HS did not offer LA.

Your son is still too young for these 'College for Kids' Splash programs, but bookmark the page and take a look to see the age range for each program. Most are for HS students only, but some offer separate MS programs. MIT has one weekend dedicated to middle school students, and that one is a CTY reunion, of sorts, but plenty of non-CTY students attend also. Yale offers Sprout for middle schoolers in addition to Splash for HS. These are one-off day or weekend events where interested MS or HS students can learn from college student instructors, with the occasional grad student or prof thrown in.

https://www.learningu.org/current-programs/#northeast

One other thought is if you live anywhere near a university, see if there are any community programs. Again, he is probably too young, but there are Math Circles and Science Olympiad. My son did not participate in either of those, but I have read about them.

Enjoy!
+1 for Art of Problem Solving - our older child has taken programming and math classes there (Beast Academy is through the same company, geared for younger children). For kids who are truly interested and naturally gifted in math - this is a great company and does an excellent job in teaching the fundamentals of each math subject. Much more in depth and thorough than what most public schools offer.
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celia
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by celia »

Since he appears to be closer to average for English/oral, I would focus on having conversations with him (about anything either of you want to talk about). Also see if he would be interested in keeping an ‘idea’ journal where he writes or draws his ideas. They can be science or philosophical, cultural, or anything else. (You might have to suggest a topic to get him started once in a while.) Don’t correct any grammar or spelling (although that might alert you to something he might need to learn better).

Hold onto this journal and give it back to him after he finishes college.
invest2bfree
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by invest2bfree »

opus360 wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:08 pm My 3rd grader kid has qualified to take courses at John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY). https://cty.jhu.edu/ In SCAT test, he scored "two grade levels above the current enrolled grade" on verbal, and four grade levels above on math. At his public school, he also attends a one-hour a week activity for kids deemed two grade levels above. At home, we teach him for about 15-30 minutes a day 5 days a week of extra studying beyond the school homework, which he completes in about 15-20 minutes. His interest lies in math and science (earth science, very basic chemistry, doing experiments such as mixing vinegar with baking soda).

So, my question, what online course would be beneficial for him?

1) English/Verbal - this way, his verbal skills would catch up to his math skills. Examples of courses are:
https://cty.jhu.edu/programs/online/cou ... locks-irul

2) Math - some math courses, as he likes math.
https://cty.jhu.edu/programs/online/cou ... atics-mwm1

3) Courses not taught in his school now such as Scratch (computer programing).
https://cty.jhu.edu/programs/online/cou ... eering-ice
https://cty.jhu.edu/programs/online/cou ... udents-esp

My thoughts:
English and math are already taught in school. I can teach him math easily at home. I am leaning towards something not available at home nor in school now such as "Scratch" programming. So, that is choice 3 above. What do you think? Has anyone's kid enrolled at CTY before?
What does he do for sports?
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Nate79
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by Nate79 »

Do they have any classes where you can play in a dirt pile with bulldozers and dump trucks or build a fort with sticks that fell in the yard? That's what I was doing at that age but I guess I only got a Phd in the end.
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vanbogle59
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by vanbogle59 »

opus360 wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 3:08 pm So, my question, what online course would be beneficial for him?
How brave do you have to be to subject your parenting to review by the internet. OMG! Hats off. :beer

Because of the way our brains develop.....

...there are some things that if you don't learn them at age 8, you can just as easily learn them at age 10, or 12 or 15. Often, they are even easier to learn later. Anything having to do with technology would probably fall into that category (especially since any tech that is hot today is not likely to be hot when he finishes his first PhD).

...there are some things that if you don't learn them at age 8, they are actually harder to pick up later: playing an instrument, speaking a foreign language, what the line is between teasing and bullying, empathy....

Best of luck to you and your son. Here's hoping the time of his childhood is happy for both of you.
:sharebeer
Mr. Rumples
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by Mr. Rumples »

Nate79 wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 3:59 pm Do they have any classes where you can play in a dirt pile with bulldozers and dump trucks or build a fort with sticks that fell in the yard? That's what I was doing at that age but I guess I only got a Phd in the end.
Thinking along the same lines...in 4th grade we all had a history project. I made a model of the fort at Jamestown VA out of toothpicks. A project turned into a lifelong passion for VA history.
"History is the memory of time, the life of the dead and the happiness of the living." Captain John Smith 1580-1631
Blue456
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by Blue456 »

I would go for sports, soccer, tennis, swimming. Something to instill life long commitment to exercise.
kelvan80
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by kelvan80 »

Any interest in string instrument? My daughter didn't start violin until 5th grade but I think she would have loved it at 3rd grade. She was very advanced in her studies as well, 3+ years ahead. Sometimes they need a break from advancing themselves so much and need to expand their other horizons more. Balance is good.
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Plano
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by Plano »

I am very familiar with JHU CTY. Great program! Just my personal opinion, but I would skip the online courses and wait for the summer in-person camps. A large part of the benefit is derived from learning with, making friends with, and just being around other gifted kids who are working hard. In my experience, gifted kids in regular classes tend to give up too easily because they're used to not having to work for good grades. The solution is to expose them to peers modeling persistence and good work ethic, which is something CTY does well.

I suggest you sign up for an in-person course first, let the kid make friends they'll be chatting with on Discord or Roblox throughout the year, and then they'll tell you which online classes they all want to do together. With any luck, these will turn into lifelong friends and future colleagues -- or, as my son says, " intellectual rivals and frenemies." :wink:
mvilleguy9
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by mvilleguy9 »

I think the best thing for him is to let him be an 8-9 year old. Encourage him to try something completely different that he's NOT good at or has never done before. Basketball season is coming up, let him play rec basketball in your town. Or indoor soccer or something. Exercise is good for any kid this age. It's not like colleges are going to be impressed by the fact the kid took some online class in 3rd grade. And learning to fail will help him later in life. Just my 2 cents....
denovo
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by denovo »

Let the kids play,
"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln
DillPickleAvalanche
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by DillPickleAvalanche »

denovo wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 6:19 pm Let the kids play,
This. Let your kid be a kid. Your approach seems quite intense.
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by Sandtrap »

Nate79 wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 3:59 pm Do they have any classes where you can play in a dirt pile with bulldozers and dump trucks or build a fort with sticks that fell in the yard? That's what I was doing at that age but I guess I only got a Phd in the end.
Experiential learning.
Yes!

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Blue456
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

Post by Blue456 »

Nate79 wrote: Thu Oct 28, 2021 3:59 pm Do they have any classes where you can play in a dirt pile with bulldozers and dump trucks or build a fort with sticks that fell in the yard? That's what I was doing at that age but I guess I only got a Phd in the end.
+ 1, sounds like mine kind of childhood.
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Re: Grade 3 student - what extra study to take?

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